


Life with Children (is a good life)

by Astoria Gracewell (arh581958)



Series: #MalecWeek [16]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Adopted Children, Adoption, Alternate Universe - Children, Alternate Universe - Domestic, Babies, Canon Compliant, Children, Day 4 - Children, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, M/M, Malec, Malec Week, Malec Week July 2017, OMG I wrote Rafe!!!, Post-COHF, Toddlers, lightwood-bane family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-28 14:21:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11419806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arh581958/pseuds/Astoria%20Gracewell
Summary: Magnus and Alec are engaged with two children. Take a peak into a night in their life with tiny Max and little Rafe!





	Life with Children (is a good life)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Malec Week July 2017. Day 4 - ChildrenAU. 
> 
> Note: This is the first time I'm writing with Rafe~ Please be gentle~

Alec Lightwood tiptoed into their Brooklyn apartment. Three runes glowed—the _dexteritas,_ _voyance_ , and _stealth_ —warmly on his skin. Raziel’s  flowed through his veins, and he felt it prickling beneath his skin. The runes were fresh. Clary helped him re-apply them before he left the New York Institute. It always helped him sneak into the apartment with as little noise as possible. 

It’ll be another four hours before sunrise. His family should be fast asleep. Except, they weren’t—at least, not all. His boyfriend glanced up wearily. 

“Hey,” Magnus’ sleepy voice greeted him. He slumped back against the velvety purple ottoman, looking like the walking dead—bags encircled his eyes which were dark enough to show through the day-old glittery make-up, rumpled day old clothes, and a pale blue towel slung over his shoulder. In his arms, their little blueberry fast asleep. 

Alec eyed the bottle of formula peeking from under the throw pillow. Shucking off his boots and socks by the door, he padded barefoot to the living room with the  _ stealth  _ rune warm on his skin. 

“Tough night?” He asked his boyfriend, dropping a kiss on Magnus’ brows. A gloveless hand stroked a finger lightly on the sleeping toddler’s cheek. 

Magnus angled his head closer. “Daddy too. Daddy too,” he whined affectionately, so much like a cat. “Daddy spent all night getting our little half-demon to bed. It took  _ forever _ to get him to settle down.”

Alec went down to his knees in front of Magnus, between the warlock’s parted legs, one hand on a skinny-jean clad thigh for support. His eyelashes fluttered slowly before he looked up to look at his boyfriend’s golden-green eyes. They were so close that he could smell the other’s natural scent. “And the other one?” 

“Rafe went to bed hours ago. It’s terrible two-year-old that kept me busy. I don’t know why we ever thought we could do this, sweetcheeks. Baby raising is so hard!”

“Yes, it is,” agreed Alec. “I hope you don’t regret it. I— _ I _ don’t regret it. I don’t regret you—or us. I would never do that, Magnus. You said before that you didn’t want to force me to do this—to raise Max—and I am not. I want him and Rafe in my life as much as I want you.” 

Magnus started to tear-up. Who wouldn’t after a long-day of toddler-wrangling? Then, to top it off, sappy declarations of a Shadowhunter loving a warlock like him. He reached out to run his free hand through Alec’s messy black hair. 

“Never,” he whispered, “Never going to regret falling in love with you silly Nephilim, Alexander. Now, scooch up and let daddy give papa a welcome home kiss.” 

Alec was all too eager to comply. Careful not to jostle their little bundle of joy, he rose higher on his knees to press their lips together. The taste of Magnus exploded on his tongue—warm and sweet.  He could feel the warmth resonating between them. 

Magnus kept a hand on his hair, and Alec responded by curling his fingers on the back of Magnus’ neck. They were both flushed when the kiss finally ended. 

Alec pulled back with a droopy love-laden smile. “Hmm,” he hummed, “Warlocks are definitely sexy, and  _ my _ Magnus Bane is the sexiest of them all. Don’t you think I forgot about the hormonal teens in the Academy trying to get in your pants. Thank angel, I’m no longer petty and jealous.” 

“Pretty possessive, I think.” Magnus smiled. “Time to get our little blueberry to bed, don’t you think? I’m looking forward to curling up in our big bed with  _ my _ Shadowhunter even if he smells like wet dog again. It’s not my favorite thing in the world but you’ll do.” 

Alec rolled his eyes. “You love me no matter how bad I smell.” He said, taking Max. In his arms, the toddler made a small cooing sound before nuzzling his chest. The hood of the familiar foxy onesie rubbed against his ratty old shirt. 

Magnus tidied the room with his magic—sheets refolded, drawers closed, and the crib righted itself to accept its ward once more. “There,” he said, holding up a pale yellow blanket. “All spic-and-span for our little blueberry muffin. 

Alec lowered Max into the crib. 

Magnus followed covered little Max with the blanket. 

Alec was right behind him to  _ properly  _ claim a welcome home kiss. His strong pale arms wrapped around the warlock’s shoulders. He tugged them backwards until his back touched something solid. Magnus had to wrap hand around the door frame to keep their balance. 

The air grew warmer. Tongues slid into each other’s mouths. Hands roamed with their pent-up desire to just  _ touch _ . Bodies pressed together tightly as if even a centimeter apart was a crime. They tried to stifle their moans but failed miserably. Max shifted in his crib lightly. 

Alec pulled away with a flush across his cheeks. “We should move.” 

“Bedroom—right.” Magnus nodded, glancing over his shoulder. 

The pair parted reluctantly but their hands remained laced together as if afraid to let go. A single point of contact was all they needed. Alec and Magnus shared a parting look inside the nursery. Two days have passed since that day at the Shadowhunter Academy. Their family has grown since then. 

“We should check on Rafe,” Magnus suggested, as they passed their elder son’s bedroom. 

Orphaned during an Endarkened attack on the Buenos Aires Institute, little Rafe was scourging for food scraps on Plaza de Mayo when they first saw him. It wasn’t an instant connection on Rafe’s side, but both Alec and Magnus couldn’t forget about him. Buenos Aires would take years to rebuild, especially with the low number of able-bodied Nephilim. They came back every week trying to convince the little scavenger to come home with them.

Of all the things, it was tiny Max Micheal who convinced the older boy. No one was available to babysit him for the day; and so, he needed to be brought along. Magnus was carrying him on a front-sling when the most magical thing in the world happened. 

Max was reaching out for Alec when the Nephilim boy caught his warlock eyes. His attention shifted from Alec to Rafe, and his wiggling fat fists reached for Rafe instead. Add a burpy saliva-filled raspberry. Rafe approached them for the very first time and asked why they had a blue baby.

Magnus enthusiastically explain then, to close, Alec asked if he wanted to be Max’s big brother—warlock and nephilim aside, just like them. 

Rafe took Max into his arms, and that was answer enough. 

Two weeks have passed since he came to live with them. 

“How is he?” Alec asked, gently touching Rafe’s closed bedroom door. “I know I should be around more often. But, with the unseelies moving again, Clary and Jace need more experienced Shadowhunters on patrol. Simon’s with a good team but they aren’t ready. Izzy caught up in training the rest.” 

Magnus covered the pale hand with his. “I know. It’s okay, Alexander. The world doesn’t stop turning just for us even if we want it to. Rafe understands. He’s tired but adjusting. Give him some more time to acclimate. Max has been a great help. They’re growing every day. They’ll be inseparable in no time.” 

“Yeah,” Alec whispered, fingers scraping over the wood. “I don’t want them separated.” 

“Alec?” 

“Dad called for another Clave Council Meeting. Jace attended with mom. They’re saying that the Academy yield isn’t high enough to be sustainable. There  _ still _ aren’t enough Shadowhunters. Numbers still aren’t as they used to be since the wars. It’s—” 

“—the reason why Sizzy and Clace are both humping like bunnies in heat? 

Alec blushed rosy red. “Magnus!” Images of Simon and Izzy role-playing replayed in his head. “I worked hard to forget that mental image. That was  _ once _ , and I’m still scared for life. I had to give him my childhood bedroom!” 

“Oh, but you did get a master suite upgrade, didn’t you?” Magnus laughed quietly. He leaned in to brush his lips along Alec’s ear. “Having kids doesn’t mean we have to stop the romance, you know. We could always make  _ new _ memories for the both of us.” He pressed his front along Alec’s back, trapping the strong shadowhunter against the door. 

Alec pushed him away but then spun around, with his long pale arms around Magnus’ shoulders. “We can do that in our bedroom here,  _ after _ we check on Rafe.” 

“You got it, babe.” 

Rafe’s room was painted in tones pale egg-yolf yellow and earthy dark greens. Alec and Magnus—especially Magnus—wanted it to be perfect for the newest addition to their family and redecorated more than twenty-seven times before getting it  _ just right _ . In the end, old canary yellow sheets sealed the deal which were currently on the floor. 

Something wasn’t right though. Rafe looked troubled. He kept tossing and turning in his sleep—brows together, forehead wrinkled, lips frowning. A thin sheen of sweat covered his forehead but he was stock-still, as if his entire body had been paralyzed in a prone position like he was standing in attention. 

Alec dropped to his knees beside the bed while Magnus climbed onto it. The warlock pulled the boy against his chest. 

“Rafe,” Alex tried to coax, gently at first but growing with intensity. “Rafe, Raffy, wake up.” 

Magnus followed. “Come on, love, open your eyes for us.”

“What’s happening, Magnus?” Alec asked, gripping Rafe’s unresponsive hand in his palms. They felt frigid. “Why isn’t he moving? Is it a spell? Is it a magic? Do something—anything, please.” 

Magnus started chanting, eyes closed in concentration. He waved his fingers over Rafe’s face until light bluish grey smoke began to form. He had his eyes closed in concentration. “It’s—it’s a nightmare,” he grittd through clenched teeth, “About—it’s Buenos Aires… on the night of the attack.” 

“Can you wake him?” Panic bled into the voice. 

Magnus shook his head. “You can’t just pull someone out of a nightmare. They’ll get lost. I need to find him first but it’s a mess in here, Alexander. The dream’s too messy. I don’t know where he is!” His magic crackled. Sleep-cantations weren’t an easy thing to do. It pulled deeper than the physical realm spells that he performed. Dream time worked differently. It drained him faster. 

Alec, seemingly sensing the strain on Magnus, reached for his boyfriend’s hand. “Take it,” he said, lacing their fingers together, “find our little boy.” The connection was immediate. Their hands lit up in a blue glow forming an energy bridge between them. He also felt the drain as quickly.

“Magnus,” he gritted, head falling into the mattress, “Try the tunnels. In the kitchen, under the table, there’s servant passages.” 

In the dream, Magnus followed Alec’s instructions. He searched his own memories for the layout of the building—except, this one was distorted in ways he couldn’t explain. Doors led to other rooms. Windows opened up to nowhere. Staircases only worked half the time. It was Alec’s steady voice urging him on that helped him find the way. 

Magnus found Rafe, looking impossibly  _ small _ , huddled under the table with arms around his knees. The boy was shaking in fear. Magnus felt his heart break into a million pieces. This was  _ their _ little boy and he would give anything to never see that look on Rafe’s face again. 

A hand touched his shoulder. He knew that hand  

“Hello, Alexander,” he greeted his boyfriend. “Shall we take him back home?” 

“Yes.” 

Magnus crawled to his knees. “Hey, Rafe, daddy’s got you. The men can’t hurt you. Daddy and papa are here.” Rafe lifted his head with tears falling down his face. “Come here, baby, we’re here. We promise we will never leave you.” He extended his hand forward, waiting patiently for the boy to take it. 

The moment their fingers brushed, Magnus was immediately pulled back into reality while Rafe stirred awake. Alec was still kneeling beside them looking exhausted and pale. Still, with a free hand, he pushed back Rafe’s sweaty bangs before touching Magnus on the cheek. 

“You found him,” he whispered gratefully. 

“I always will,” Magnus answered. 

Rafe’s eyes blinked open. “Da—dad? Pops?” 

“Hey, baby.” Despite the visible strain, Alec reacted first with a smile that seemed to brighten up the whole room. He may have gotten a bit teary-eyed when the boy smiled back.  “You were having a bad dream but it’s over now. We have you.” He glanced up the warlock. 

Magnus understood. “We’re never going to let anyone take you away from us.” 

“Promise?” Rafe asked quietly. 

“We promise,” they replied in unison. 

Magnus twinkled a bit of sandman’s sand to help Rafe go back to sleep—making sure that it was without any dreams this time. 

Hand-in-hand, they tiptoed back into their room after tucking Rafe under the canary yellow sheets again. By then,  both of them looked worse for wear, more so than when they were trying to look for the book of white or when they were facing demons in Edom. 

They, really, didn’t expect that raising children would be this hard. 

Eventually, Alec and Magnus stripped down to their birthday suits and crawled underneath the covers. The sun will come up in less than two hours. It was fortunate that Magnus kept his own hours. Alec wouldn’t be called until later tonight again. If things went better than well, today would be a boring old ordinary day. 

“Thank you for our children,” Alec murmured against Magnus’ jaw, his arms wrapped around the warlock whom he used as a pillow whenever he could get away with it. 

Magnus tipped his head down and kissed Alec in the forehead. “Thank you for raising them with me.”

**Author's Note:**

> ANNOUNCEMENT: I am moving to Ecuador for a couple of months. Any recommendations on what to do there? 
> 
> ***
> 
> If you have a prompt or an idea, you can [INSPIRE ME](http://arh581958.tumblr.com/submit) on tumblr. Or [TALK TO ME](http://arh581958.tumblr.com/ask)~
> 
> As always, **kudos/comments/bookmarks** are all appreciated by this author. I take comments as extra-kudos and I _do_ read the bookmark tags (some are really fun).


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